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Strap Botes on mv> Biros. 



By C. H. Row. 



At the last Crystal Palace Show I had the pleasure of a 

 short chat with our worthy Editor, who apparently considered it 

 my duty to write "something" for Bird Notes. This is a very 

 large order for one who is very much an amateur in foreign bird 

 keeping. I, however, promised to do my best and our Editor 

 has promised to knock this article into shape. 



My earliest experience of foreign birds related to three or 

 four Black-headed Maunikins that were given to my parents. 

 For a good many years after that foreign birds dropped out of 

 my life ; in fact, until after my marriage I never owned one. 

 About 1900, my friend, Mr. Allen Silver, was leaving home and 

 presented my wife with a Silverbill and a Ribbon Finch. The 

 Silverbill used to lay about one egg every week, and she laid 

 herself to death in the end like the hen who first tried the patent 

 nest box with the trap door below, through which the eggs dis- 

 appeared as soon as laid. 



In 1902 I moved to Sudbury, and then seriously began to 

 take up the hobby. In conjunction with Mr. Silver I got out 

 " plans and specifications" for my first aviary. It consisted of a 

 covered-iu shed about 5 ft. by 4 ft., partly boarded in front and a 

 wire run about the same size. We made the whole of it our- 

 selves and were rather proud of our work. I invested in some 

 Budgerigars — I believe three pairs — and I know that in the five 

 years I had that aviary I bred between thirty and forty young 

 " Budgies" each season, and the proceeds went a long way to- 

 wards paying my seed bill. I also bought a pair of Cockatiels in 

 Sclater Street for 5/6, and turned them in with the " Budgies." I 

 bred five or six youngsters the first year from them, but only 

 three lived ; the next year the cock bird died, and although I had 

 never found either of them in the least spiteful, directly the lady 

 was left a widow she turned nasty tempered and broke a leg or 

 two of her smaller companions. 



Well, once I had a touch of the "bird fever" I took it 

 badly, and although it is now six years since I got that touch, it 

 does not look as if there is any hope of a cure. I see something 



